TankBud

Sword plants

Sword plants are large rosette plants that root deep and make a centerpiece or a full background, with the Amazon sword the most common. They are heavy root feeders, so root tabs in the substrate matter more than dosing the water. Each profile lists final size, light and placement, since a full-grown sword can fill a small tank.

At a glance

Height
3.9–39.4 in
3.9 in (10 cm) to 39.4 in (100 cm); half the list stays at 15.7 in (40 cm) or under
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C, most of the list
Light
4 low light
28 medium light · 3 high light
Growth
5 slow growing
27 medium growth · 3 fast growing
Difficulty
28 easy
6 medium · 1 difficult

35 plants

Start here

The swords to start with

The amazon sword is the sword everyone knows, marked easy for medium light at 19.7 inches (50 cm), a rooted centerpiece for the back of a tank. The ozelot sword is spotted with red-brown, marked easy at 15.7 inches (40 cm). The red rubin sword grows red-brown new leaves at 19.7 inches (50 cm). The melon sword has broad, round leaves at the same height. The pygmy chain sword is the carpet of the family, marked easy at 3.9 inches (10 cm), spreading by runners. The Vesuvius sword grows narrow, twisted leaves at 11.8 inches (30 cm) for the midground.

The rule

What a sword needs

A sword feeds through its roots, so it wants a root tab pushed under it every couple of months or a nutrient substrate; a sword in bare gravel with liquid fertilizer starves slowly. Most swords here reach 15.7 to 23.6 inches (40 to 60 cm) and spread as wide, which makes them background plants in all but a tall tank. A sword sold in a pot was grown out of water, and its first leaves melt in the tank while the submersed ones come; the plant is fine. And a settled sword sends out a runner with plantlets that root when pressed into the substrate.

  1. 01

    Root feeders

    A root tab every couple of months, or a nutrient substrate

  2. 02

    Big

    Most reach 15.7 to 23.6 inches (40 to 60 cm) and spread as wide

  3. 03

    Emersed leaves melt

    The potted leaves go, the submersed ones come

  4. 04

    Runners

    A settled sword makes plantlets on a runner

Background

The big swords

The marble queen sword grows cream-marbled leaves at 19.7 inches (50 cm), marked easy. The ruffled sword has wavy-edged leaves at 23.6 inches (60 cm). The Uruguay sword is narrow-leaved at 21.7 inches (55 cm). The narrow leaf chain sword reaches 23.6 inches (60 cm) and spreads by runners along the back. The Echinodorus floribundus is the giant, marked medium at 39.4 inches (100 cm), a pond plant in a small tank. The Horemanii sword is the collector's sword, marked difficult for the cool, soft water it wants.

Compact

The compact and colored swords

The Hadi Red Pearl sword is marked easy at 9.8 inches (25 cm) with red-speckled leaves, the sword for a small tank. The oriental sword stays at 11.8 inches (30 cm) under high light with pink new growth. The Aflame sword is marked medium, a slow sword with red-brown leaves at 11.8 inches (30 cm). The Fancy Twist sword grows curled leaves at 15.7 inches (40 cm). The Reni sword is marked easy for low light at 15.7 inches (40 cm), and the quadricostatus chain sword spreads by runners at 5.9 inches (15 cm) in low light.

By the numbers

Smallest

  1. 01
    Pygmy chain sword (Helanthium tenellum)

    Pygmy chain sword

    Helanthium tenellum

    3.9 in (10 cm)
  2. 02
    Quadricostatus chain sword (Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus')

    Quadricostatus chain sword

    Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'

    5.9 in (15 cm)
  3. 03

    Echinodorus horizontalis Mini

    Echinodorus horizontalis 'Mini'

    7.9 in (20 cm)
  4. 04

    Apart sword

    Echinodorus 'Apart'

    9.8 in (25 cm)

Tallest

  1. 01
    Echinodorus floribundus (Echinodorus floribundus)

    Echinodorus floribundus

    39.4 in (100 cm)
  2. 02
    Narrow leaf chain sword (Helanthium bolivianum 'Angustifolius')

    Narrow leaf chain sword

    Helanthium bolivianum 'Angustifolius'

    23.6 in (60 cm)
  3. 03
    Ruffled sword (Echinodorus major)

    Ruffled sword

    Echinodorus major

    23.6 in (60 cm)
  4. 04
    Uruguay sword (Echinodorus uruguayensis)

    Uruguay sword

    Echinodorus uruguayensis

    21.7 in (55 cm)

Low light

Fast growers

FAQ

Common questions

Why are my new sword's leaves melting?

The pot was grown out of water, and the emersed leaves cannot live submersed. They die back over a few weeks while narrower submersed leaves grow from the crown. Cut off the dead ones and leave the crown.

Do sword plants need CO2?

No. Every sword here lists it as beneficial, and the amazon sword grows to full size on a root tab and medium light without it.

How big does an amazon sword get?

19.7 inches (50 cm) tall and about as wide, which is why it lists as a background plant. The Hadi Red Pearl and the Vesuvius sword are the swords for a smaller tank.

What do swords need to grow?

Root feeding. A root tab pushed under the crown every couple of months, or a nutrient substrate, plus medium light. A sword in bare gravel with only liquid fertilizer yellows and stalls.

How do I propagate a sword?

Wait for the runner. A settled sword sends out a stalk with plantlets along it; press them into the substrate until they root, then cut the runner.

Can a sword grow in low light?

The Reni sword and the quadricostatus chain sword list low light. The rest list medium light and stretch without it.

Index

All sword plants

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